MGCCC’S Justin Evans (#14) intercepts a pass against Co-Lin Oct. 19.
Gulf Coast clinches 7th straight trip to MACJC playoffs
MGCCC’S Justin Evans (#14) intercepts a pass against Co-Lin Oct. 19.
It was revenge and a reckoning for Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College against MACJC South Division rival Co-Lin on October 19.
The Bulldogs avenged a loss to the Wolves in last season’s MACJC title game by shutting down Co-Lin 21-7 to earn the team’s seventh-straight trip to the postseason. Head coach Steve Campbell said the Homecoming victory was also a statement to the way things are done at Gulf Coast.
“Today we played Bulldog football,” said Campbell, who’s now 8-2 in Homecoming games at Gulf Coast and 9-2 against Co-Lin. You don’t like to talk about it, but we’re in the playoffs for the seventh year in a row in the toughest league in America. I’m very proud of that, but we’re not done yet.”
The game was scoreless until late in the second quarter when the Gulf Coast offense put together a nine-play, 70-yard drive. Sophomore running back Justin Brister ran 10 yards on third-and-1 to move the ball into the red zone. Then sophomore quarterback Colton Kane hit Jeremy Cutrer for 14 yards and Marlon Pope for a 3-yard touchdown to make it 7-0 at the half.
“We always talk about the last minutes of the first half and the first minutes of the second half being the most important parts of the game,” Campbell added.
The Bulldogs got a 44-yard kickoff return from Tony Bridges to open the second half and then two big pass plays from Kane to freshman wideout Jeremy Cutrer and Dhaquille Williams to set up a 1-yard touchdown run by Antwon Wells making it 14-0 with 13:06 to go in the third quarter. The Bulldogs added to the lead nine minutes later on a 15-yard TD strike from Kane to Dhaquille Williams. Kane relieved starting quarterback Terrian Page and went 13/22 for 203 yards and two scores. Williams, an NJCAA All-American, caught 7 passes for 120 yards and a score in his first game action since Oct. 3.
Meanwhile the Gulf Coast defense pitched a shutout until the 13:11 mark of the fourth quarter, when Co-Lin’s Daniel Fitzwater hit Casey Gladney for a 2-yard touchdown pass. Fitzwater was just 22-for-48 passing with an interception while Gladney, a Cincinnati commit, caught 14 balls for 133 yards. The Bulldogs held Co-Lin to 42 yards on the ground, had two sacks, and forced two turnovers.
“I can’t say enough about how hard this team has worked and how well we played. It wasn’t easy, but nothing’s easy when you’re going after something you want badly,” Campbell said.